Lu’Ami [Interview]

Writing this intro, I realised that this is the third time a Lu’Ami interview has appeared on TMMP over the past ten months. I’m pretty sure that at some point soon, I’ll end up running out of questions – but fortunately, Lu’Ami has a lot to talk about.

This time around, we’re discussing something one-of-a-kind – and seriously cool…

You’re currently working on a Kickstarter campaign to raise £2,500 for something you call “The Better Project”. What’s it all about?

It’s an immersive EP installation and launch, based on the concept of growth, incorporating a fully sustainable fashion show, with the purpose of raising awareness about climate change.

You’re crowdfunding an event that’s also an EP launch. I’m assuming that Better, the track you released last year, will be on it – but what else can we expect to hear on the full EP? Read more…

Posted on 05 March 2016

Poly-Math [Interview]

If mind-blowing instrumental math-rock is your musical delicacy of choice, meet Poly-Math – if you haven’t already. They’re currently sitting on one hell of a debut mini-album, which is called Melencolia, was reviewed here for your delectation, and contains three ultra-intense epics that will have you scratching your head in wonderment for months to come.

Here, Poly-Math bassist Joe Branton talks about Melencolia‘s presently-missing fourth track, the joys of instrumental music, and why Poly-Math are on the lookout for the world’s biggest inflatable bananas… Read more…

Posted on 27 February 2016

Danimal Cannon [Interview]

UPDATE: TMMP has been reborn! This video has the full story:

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Doing something different is difficult.

In a world obsessed with trends and fads that last a microsecond, the pressure is always on to deliver something palatable to a mass audience with the attention span of a brain-damaged goldfish. With his new album Lunaria, Danimal Cannon is ignoring the seductive pull of the same-but-slightly-different, and delivering something really different.

Danimal Cannon is a chiptune master, capable of blending multiple genres, timbres, instruments, and moods into a long-player that is an acquired taste, but a legitimately rewarding taste nonetheless. After I listened to Lunaria in its entirety and reviewed it here, this interview could only kick off with one question…

Your new album Lunaria broke my brain, in a good way! So my opening question has to be: Just how the hell did you make it? How did the tracks on Lunaria go from idea to reality? Read more…

Posted on 24 February 2016

Submotion Orchestra on ‘Colour Theory,’ Keytars, And Onstage Livestock [Interview]

Submotion Orchestra’s new album Colour Theory is one of the albums of the year. Granted, it is only February, but I can very safely say that Colour Theory is going to take some beating. Seriously.

Colour Theory has been on near-constant repeat at TMMP HQ after hitting a 100% home run in this full-length review. It’s a genuinely spectacular album – and for this interview, TMMP got SubMo keyboardist Taz Modi talking about the story behind Colour Theory as well as stage invading DJs, keytars, onstage livestock and spaceships… Read more…

Posted on 01 February 2016

Press To MECO [Interview]

Press To MECO are a one of a kind band. Dropping pop-punk, post-hardcore, and math-ridden influences into their own musical melting pot and cooking up a genuinely unique sonic style, Press To MECO are exactly the kind of band the rock world needs right now: Different, special, exciting, and forward-thinking.

From February 22nd through to March 9th, Press To MECO are touring the UK with Max Raptor and Allusondrugs – and here, TMMP talks to vocalist/guitarist Luke Caley about motivation, life after the release of debut album Good Intent (reviewed on TMMP here), and Press To MECO’s ultimate goal…

The last time we spoke, you were about to head off and tour the UK to support the release of Good Intent. How did that go? Any road stories?

The tour was so awesome! I think three shows overall sold out, and every date had Read more…

Posted on 25 January 2016

Sean Ashe [Interview]

The guitar world is well known for its over-the-top machismo and cutthroat competitive obsessions. The upside of that dark side is that it makes artists like Sean Ashe stand out that much more. Warm, vibrant, and invigorating, Sean Ashe’s new album Flux (reviewed on TMMP here) heralds the triumphant arrival of a great new voice on the guitar scene.

In this interview, Sean Ashe and TMMP talk Flux, creativity, evolution, and more…

Your debut album Flux is due out this month. How’re you feeling now the release date’s so close?

While a typical response, I’m so excited. This is my first album, and I’m making sure I take it all in. I only get one first album! Everyone who’s heard it has said so many positive things. It’s left me feeling so excited for the future, and incredibly inspired to make more music.

How would you describe the process of writing and recording Flux?

The process of writing this album was really tough. Not Read more…

Posted on 09 January 2016

Intervals [Interview]

Welcome to 2016! With a new year stretching off into the distance, I talked to Intervals mastermind Aaron Marshall about the story behind The Shape Of Colour – a release crammed with instrumental guitar-driven excellence that ranks as one of my favourite albums of 2015…

You’ve really had to fight to make The Shape Of Colour a reality. Could you please explain the story behind Intervals’ latest evolutionary shift?

I’m not sure I would say it was a fight as much as it was a test of my will.

Essentially, Intervals began as sort of an accident. I had one song for whatever my next project would be (at the time) and a good friend of mine insisted to shoot a “play through” video of the tune. I had no real intention of releasing it, but he convinced me that I needed to put it on the Internet.

Without being too long-winded, everything sort of snowballed Read more…

Posted on 02 January 2016

Javier Reyes [Interview]

For lovers of fresh new sounds, restlessly creative musicians like Javier Reyes are a godsend. In addition to rewriting the metal guitar rulebook alongside Tosin Abasi in Animals As Leaders, Javier has also spent the last few years writing and releasing music through his side project, Mestis.

Mestis’ latest long-player, Polysemy (reviewed on TMMP here), was recently listed as one of my favourite albums of 2015 in this feature – and here, Javier Reyes discusses Mestis, creativity, generous fans, and the future of his pet project…

Your new album Polysemy has been out for about a month now. How’re you feeling about it?

I am pretty happy with it. I wasn’t sure what people were going to think, considering some of the parts are so mellow in comparison to material they are used to from [Animals As Leaders]. Thankfully the overall feedback has been pretty positive.

What initially inspired and motivated you to create Mestis? What’s the project’s origin story?

Mestis is a bit of my bedroom project. It started [with] me making some songs in my bedroom that I knew were stylistically different [to] Animals As Leaders, and I felt the material was strong enough to be released.

After the first EP, I didn’t really expect to write more music for Mestis, but throughout touring with Animals As Leaders people kept asking me if I was going to release more music for Mestis; so thanks to all those people who asked me, I was Read more…

Posted on 11 December 2015

Fifi Rong [Interview]

Few music-related experiences are as satisfying as discovering a musician who completely spins your head around – even when you feel sure you’ve heard it all. Fifi Rong is just such a musician. Following the release of her new EP Violently Silently (reviewed on TMMP here), I caught up with Fifi Rong to discuss the creative process behind her latest release, while she dug deep into the motives behind her music…

Your new EP Violently Silently is starting to make its way out into the world. What thoughts and feelings are going through your mind right now?

I’m happy with the creative cycle, putting my thoughts and feelings and what I have become into my songs and production. Passed on to the people who are there to receive and interpret the music subjectively. What was once mine is now theirs; it’s a great feeling.

What was the underlying creative process behind Violently Silently? I understand the tracks are linked together in a very intriguing way…

I used the same set of sound elements, sampled, crafted, and re-sampled, to present a set of songs that Read more…

Posted on 09 December 2015

Lithium Dawn [Interview]

Looking back on a big year for metal, Lithium Dawn’s brand new Tearing Back The Veil I: Ascension marks them out as genuine innovators. I’ve already ranted at length about it in this review – and here, Lithium Dawn discuss the story behind the new album, their plans for 2016, and more…

You’ve managed to spice up an epic prog-metal mix with some unique flavours of your own. So, I have to open with an old cliché: Who were your influences while you were writing your new album?

Well, [the] earliest influences that informed our sound were prog rock/metal bands like Porcupine Tree, Tool, Opeth, Meshuggah, and some of the newer bands like Tesseract and Periphery. Deftones and Korn were also a big influence early on.

Our founding members, Ondrej Tvarozek and Matt Benoit, actually met on Korn’s message board back in the early 2000s. As we were making this new album though, we embraced a lot more of our experimental influences: reggae, psy-dub, and other electronic music played a big part in that, particularly artists like Ott, Shpongle, Younger Brother, John Brown’s Body, Stick Figure, and many others.

Tearing Back The Veil I: Ascension is about to be let loose into the world. What thoughts and feelings are floating around the Lithium Dawn camp right now?

We’re all just excited to have people finally Read more…

Posted on 04 December 2015